August 09, 2010

Before this series began, predictions and declarations were made -- the Red Sox needed to take at least three out of four to have a meaningful remainder of the season, I heard at least one commentator say last Friday during the pregame show. The four-game set in the Bronx was hyped and framed as the whole enchilada, ball of wax, you name it, THIS WAS THE WHOLE SEASON, RIGHT HERE.

If they'd been swept, sure. I could see sticking in the proverbial fork after such a thing. And obviously winning the series would've been a huge boost to the ego, a solid enough foundation to build renewed optimism upon.

But reality, as usual, turned out to be somewhere in the middle, with a wild card (so to speak) thrown in.

The Sox took the first game of the series handily behind a solid outing from Clay Buchholz on Friday night, as footage of Dustin Pedroia running on the Yankee Stadium infield was shown. "Looking at him, you can tell he's still thinking about it," said Tito afterwards, reporting that Pedroia was found not to be game-ready after the brief set of sprints from one baseline to the middle of the infield.

And it's true. We were provided a closeup by NESN shortly after that quote from Tito, of Pedroia in conversation with a teammate behind the dugout fence, but looking away every so often toward the camera he didn't realize was zooming in. He stared off, clearly preoccupied, between the intermittent bursts of words tossed over his left shoulder toward whomever he was talking to, stroking the Youk-style beard he's grown.

Still. Being on schedule may feel behind schedule to Pedey, but it's encouraging for the rest of us. Combined with the win on Friday night, there was plenty of fuel for optimism as the weekend arrived.

On Saturday, which featured the weakest pitching matchup for the Sox going in -- Lackey / Sabathia -- the game most thought Boston would lose turned out as expected.

That, in turn, led to a dramatic showdown on Sunday night, with the pitcher you'd historically want most on the mound in such a game starting for us in Josh Beckett.

It's unfair, really, to put so much meaning onto a single game, as plenty of the groundwork for the team's tenuous position in the standings was laid well before it came down to this. It is even more unfair, I thought as I watched Beckett implode against the Yankee lineup again, to place THE ENTIRE REST OF THE SEASON on one particular pitching start. Does it really mean he's singlehandedly blown THE ENTIRE REST OF THE SEASON?

Still, it was difficult not to cast about for someone to blame as the Sox continued to take an embarrassing beating from the Bombers. Difficult not to quibble, for example, with a lineup that sat Mike Lowell while starting Kevin Cash, who made a boneheaded throw to third in the bottom of the fifth, tacking another run onto the Yankees' haul that inning.

Difficult, also, not to picture the faces that should've been there, and not to dwell on the woulda coulda shouldas. In that vein, I can only imagine what instincts seized Dustin Pedroia as he watched Bill Hall airmail a ball past V-Mart on what could've been a spectacular out in the bottom of the second. Or what might've been on Varitek or Youkilis' minds when Cash tossed the ball into left field*.

In the meantime, off in the Great White North, there was that wild card -- the Rays collapsed over the weekend in Toronto, losing five straight between last Wednesday and yesterday, including a sweep at the hands of the fourth-place Jays. Yesterday they even came close to being no-hit for what would've been the third time this season, only escaping that indignity vs. Brandon Morrow with two outs in the top of the ninth.

All of this rendered the series with New York much less significant, as the Red Sox retained their toehold in the Wild Card standings thanks to the Rays' losing streak. And then finally, today, behind 6 1/3 strong innings from Jon Lester, the Sox squeaked by with a series split in a 2-1 win.

And so, as momentous as this series was predicted to be, its outcome -- status quo, 6.0 games out of first place and 4.0 games out of the Wild Card -- leaves more questions than answers. And to tell you the truth, I'm not sure what's supposed to be decided here, even as I'm sure I've been made to feel as if something should be. Even if the Red Sox had gotten swept, meaning we could all officially "give up", what does that really mean, in the end? None of us watch baseball games for the rest of the summer? How unrealistic is that?

__________________________________________

* We had some clue about Pedroia's reaction last night, as ESPN's cameras
focused on a commotion in the Red Sox dugout. John Farrell had Pedroia
in a headlock next to the Gatorade coolers, clapping a hand over
Pedroia's mouth (well, actually, his entire face) and hollering
something at Tito, who approached with what could only have been a pithy
response. ESPN remarked that Pedroia is driving the coaching staff
crazy in the dugout**; I can believe it. Last night it looked like his
last ounce of self-restraint had given way, at least temporarily.

** Meanwhile, I have also wondered if the prominent
presence of Pedroia and Youkilis in the dugout following their injuries -- Pedroia has made
a point to travel with the team and take treatment wherever they happen
to be playing, and Youkilis will return to as soon as
possible following his hand surgery -- has been a kind of tacit
editorializing vis a vis Ellsbury-gate. I still find the suggestion that
Ellsbury was at fault for the team's losses earlier this month because he was absent when he could allegedly play a load of hogwash, but seeing Pedroia and Youk act as they have, I am willing to concede there
could also be a nugget of truth at the heart of all that drama.

July 28, 2010

NESN made kind of a big deal last night about how John Lackey was received, but I didn't hear much beyond the kind of mixed reception I'd heard for Manny at Fenway. Apparently Chone Figgins was well-received when he returned, and he went to another team in their division, so it's not as if they boo indiscriminately there. It's pretty obvious this is something of a Johnny Damon equivalent for Orange County. And Boston fans booed the hell outta Damon the first time he came back, regardless of his World Series contributions in the past.

It makes sense. They hate the Red Sox. I can deal. I can even understand why. (Though I draw the line at the whole "East Coast bias" thing, and I disavow any and all conspiracy theories.)

I saw Jacoby interviewed by Heidi on Red Sox Report before the game got started. He seems to be rehabbing down in the Gulf Coast League. There is, I hate to say, something vaguely A-Rod-ish about Ellsbury when he talks. I can't quite put my finger on it. Maybe it's just a similar speech pattern.

But then they showed him running the bases, and that uncomfortable thought was easily swept back under the rug. He obviously wasn't even going 100%, but Jesus, that kid can just fly.

***

Yay, they won, and stuff (I'm convinced it's because my dad is at the games right now on his annual baseball trip, and is acting as a good luck charm). Great to see Jed Lowrie contributing, too. He really does seem to be the sweetest person -- I remember him being so touchingly excited when people recognized him at Fan Appreciation Day, and last night he made sure to politely greet both home plate umpire and catcher before digging in for his first at-bat. He's the kind of person I want to see do well.

***

Right now, I really just miss the Red Sox. I miss the hell out of Dustin Pedroia. I miss Ellsbury's speed on the field. I miss seeing Varitek every so often. And most of all, I miss coming home from work and getting dinner started while the pregame show is on. I miss sitting down and filling those primetime hours with the Red Sox. They need to come home, already.

July 02, 2010

The Red Sox are now pulling a Doug Mirabelli maneuver with Kevin Cash now that our FOURTH catcher, between the big leagues and Triple A, has hit the DL.

This time it's the Captain, and it turns out he and Dustin Pedroia are going to be able to enjoy broken-foot rehab together.

I know, maybe Varitek and Pedroia can both go to the infield on their knees and practice taking ground balls and throwing to second base (god knows Tek could use the latter anyway), and then trainers can "wheelbarrow walk" them off the field in time for batting practice to start.

In fact, maybe all of our injured players could do that, charge admission, and call it a Red Sox game from now till September. After all, it's most of our key players at this point who'd be out there crawling around.

Another way to look at this, I suppose, is that if everybody can get back in time for a playoff run, they'll be fresher than most of the rest of the league going into the final stretch.

Hey, I'm grasping at straws, here, people. I'm sure at this point you are, too.

July 01, 2010

What is it about this strange, maddening, oddball season? Every time I start feeling my oats, watching our bullpen hang tough after Buch went down in San Fran, watching the offense continue to wail away even as the power in our lineup has been decimated, or chipping away at a pitcher touted as unbeatable, something humbling usually follows. Like last night's game, where the Sox had the chance, at least at one point, with the Yankees trailing Seattle, to tie for first place in the division.

Unfortunately, it wasn't in the cards, or more accurately the pitching schedule, as Daisuke, MDC and Okajima (ETA -- it was Ramirez, but the linked post about Oki is worth reading anyway) were torched for 9 runs, while the Sox mustered four, three of them in garbage time. Talk about a buzzkill.

Still, with these Sox...as I was telling my imaginary internet friend Alex Belth over email earlier today, there's starting to be a character emerging here that I
really, really like. The sky's the limit on their potential, but their stumbles have been nerve-wracking. And Pedroia going down, as we all know, sucks like a nuclear-powered Electrolux*.

But it
has also been pointed out that the Yanks and Sox have been improving despite
injuries while the Rays have been faltering even without the Injury Bug
slinking around. That said, the Rays didn't look too faltering last night
-- maybe this really could end up being the three-horse race everyone
predicted after all.

"Nah," was Alex's opinion. "Tampa won't
hang...but September is going to be Alka Seltzer
time!"

_________

* Even injured, pissed off and cranky, Dustin Pedroia continues to be not just my favorite Sox at this point, but one of my favorite humans on the planet. Mostly because of things like this:

With his left foot still encased in a boot and with strict doctor’s orders not to put weight on said foot, Dustin Pedroia still managed to take grounders at second base yesterday at Fenway Park. There he was, on his knees, scooping up ground balls hit by infield instructor and third base coach Tim Bogar, practicing his fielding and his throwing while unable to walk.

[...]

Manager Terry Francona,
meanwhile, is doing his best to keep Pedroia from doing too much,
trying to keep him off the field. That, obviously, didn’t work
yesterday. Not that Francona really minded. He understands how difficult
this has been and will be for Pedroia.

“I failed miserably,’’ Francona said.
“He’s a maniac."

As Denton put it, "I have to wonder how JD Drew feels seeing that, as he sits out with a stiff neck."

June 28, 2010

Know what I love about Jon Lester? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. Not saying he's useless, either, just saying I don't especially love him, that's all, in case that Injury Bug is around here listening. No siree, nothing special at all about Jon Lester. Nothing to write home about, or praise for his surprising batting skills, or anything like that.

See, whenever I pick a new favorite to love as my personal binkies keep getting sidelined, that seems to be the next guy to go down. No Josh? I set about enjoying the development of Clay Buchholz. And look how that turned out.

Also, Pedroia. Words do not describe my chest-bursting love for Dustin Pedroia, even now that he's sitting in the dugout fuming, in a way I believe he will be until the moment they let him back out on the field. Still, you're telling me I have to endure both July AND part of August without any further laser shows, without fawning commentary from Jerry Remy after the Elf stabs another liner dead in shallow right center, without witty postgame quips that make headlines the next day?

That's it. No more binkies, no more favorites, until further notice. After we all thought V-Mart came out of yesterday's game because of a foul ball off his foot, and it turned out he actually has a broken thumb on his catching hand (heh. Surprise!), I shudder to think of what could be next. If this keeps up, by this time next week I won't admit I've ever heard of most of the pitching staff.

June 27, 2010

24 hours after his ultimate laser show, the very night after I found myself with that playoffs-a-possibility spring in my step, thinking about Josh Beckett's impending return coupled with Pedroia's continuing ass-kickery, and the unthinkable happened: Dustin Pedroia was kicking ass so hard, so indiscriminately, he accidentally kicked his own.

Pedroia as a player is someone who comes across loud and clear, but who is nonetheless difficult to wrap words around. It's hard to express, without sounding hyperbolic, just how outlandish the ratio of his stature to his presence. It begins to sound like one of those Chuck Norris Facts.

But this scenario also sounds like something straight off that site: He broke his own foot with a foul ball, and thus, the only person who can knock Pedroia to the DL is Pedroia himself. (Remember, this is the same guy who played, and contributed, with a broken bone in his wrist during the 2007 World Series.)

So now my smug little "We Got Pedroia" bubble has been burst like the pinata in Pedroia's Sullivan Tire Commercial, and no sooner do I recover from that sucker punch than Clay Buchholz also comes up lame running the bases last night out in San Francisco.

For some, the instantaneous reaction is to say "Damn you, Interleague Play!" I personally don't have as much of a problem with the whole concept, but on this count I can't say I disagree.

Still, there are years that injuries just happen, to the point where it begins to feel like some otherworldly intelligence has selected your team for certain doom. Take 2006, for example. I'm not saying we're in that scenario just yet -- after all, the Sox bullpen came up huge last night after Buchholz's early exit, a fantastic sign for any ambitious team, and the Sox still won -- but I do know that the last time that slithering insect came around to chew up our season, it only wanted our best.

June 25, 2010

I've already said how much I hate 'here's why I haven't written' posts, but basically there's been a confluence of factors distracting my from baseball in my first week back from vacation, namely, starting a new job, though I am following, as usual.

Just watching the text message score updates last night gave me emotional whiplash. 2-0 Rockies...I knew I was right to skip Daisuke! Are the Sox going to get swept? WTF?

3-2 Sox...oh me of little faith...

4-2 Sox...6-2 Sox...I am obviously too pessimistic for my own good!

6-4 Sox...uh oh.

6-5 Sox...um...

7-6 Rockies...back to glad I'm missing this one...

*Text message service blips, and the next score I get is 11-8 Sox* What in the freakin hell...

11-9 Sox...here we go again!

11-11 Oh for the love of Pete!!

13-11 Sox...well...my reaction can best be expressed in the form of an amazing video I saw of reactions to Landon Donovan's World Cup Goal this week. Especially when I found out that my fierce favorite, Dustin Pedroia -- whose stature only continues to grow in my eyes -- was the hero.

Three freakin' homers and 5 RBI??

The only thing better than watching Dustin Pedroia kick ass and take names at the plate and haul ass around the bases is hearing him talk about it afterwards: "Oh, yeah, I hit a lot of bombs. Don’t kid yourself.”
And it seems the 'scrappy' meme is finally, finally dying when it comes to the Pup. As Yahoo! Sports' Jeff Passan put it:

By now, we needn’t. Everyone knows Pedroia isn’t a joke, some little balding guy with a big, bad beard scratching out the 25th spot on a roster because of his pluck and chemistry and other immeasurables often attributed to short white guys. He is a ballplayer, and that is about the best compliment one in his profession can earn.

I don't watch soccer and I didn't see either of these things happen live, but watching the replays gives me goose bumps the size of gumdrops.

June 19, 2010

June 04, 2010

There I go, falling off the blogging wagon again. Honestly, I've absorbed the entire Oakland series through osmosis. As with the Celtics in the playoffs, I'm aware that they lost yesterday and the basics of what happened (in the C's case, not close; in the case of the Sox, frustratingly close, Tim Boggar is the worst, Hermida hit a homer and what is up with John Lackey? And so on.). I know the pertinent facts, but there's not much I have to say about them you wouldn't see elsewhere.

So let's fall back on a photos and links post, since what other people are talking about is really what I've been paying attention to this week.

A work colleague sent me an email today, which is what actually finally inspired me to fire up Typepad.

Stupid Fenway photo trick: So in reading your Sox blog, I notice how
you’re into photographing nuances of player movements and positioning.
Last year my cousin (Red Sox diehard cousin from Ohio, we go to Fenway
at least once a year) pointed out that Youk takes a hop on every pitch.
You ever get him in midair?

Would be interested in seeing
any of these you’ve captured.

I wrote back,"LOL, *do* I?" (In retrospect, that sounds more flippant than I meant it -- like half the crap I say, really -- I was truly el oh elling at my tendency to photograph the same thing over and over again, something Sam and I joke about whenever we go to the ballpark.)

(Yes, technically he's a baserunner here.)

And for that matter, I also have Youk hopping with Pedroia:

Pedroia with Kotsay:

...or perhaps you'd prefer just Pedroia by himself:

And now, the links:

Japanese female knuckleballer Eri Yoshida made her US debut last weekend: Joy of Sox had a nice post on that.

I agree with JoS entirely that Tim Bogar is ripe for canning, but I also think Tito's
response may be due to a 'cry wolf' factor, given that certain
elements around here hysterically call for people's firing even without
this amount of evidence to back it up. I'm sure it usually falls on deaf
ears in the Sox clubhouse at this point, to our detriment when it
really is warranted.

Otherwise, all the talk has been about Jim Joyce's blunder in what should've been a perfect game by Detroit's Armando Galarraga. It's been an emotional issue even for those who probably couldn't have picked Galarraga out of a lineup last week, touching as it does on the issues of instant-replay use in baseball; a slump for umpires so far this season with blown calls; and most importantly, offers a chance to trash Bud Selig. Some say (or imply) that Joyce's apology, however heartfelt, is just not enough. Others say Galarraga and Joyce's actions since the call have been an object lesson in grace. Curtis Granderson, at the end of a lovely post about Ken Griffey Jr.'s retirement, said it made him "proud to be a Major League Baseball player."

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